Chances for Rajakumar's release brighten

The prospects for the release of Kannada film star Dr Rajakumar and two others held hostage by Veerappan since July 30, brightened on Tuesday with three more emissaries, including Tamil National Movement leader P Nedumaran, joining Nakkeeran editor R Gopal to negotiate with the brigand.

Police sources said besides Nedumaran, who had a rapport with the two Tamil extremist outfits -- the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army and the Tamil Nadu Retrieval Force -- that had joined the brigand, his associate Professor Kalyani of Villuppuram and People's Union of Civil Liberties activist Pudhuvai Sugumaran joined Gopal in his fifth mission to the forest.

Officials from both the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments finalised the team at a high-level meeting in Madras on Monday night and handed over all the relevant documents. Sources said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had okayed the composition of the team.